Guarding Them
by Trinity'sSerenity
Summary: Here's a girl. She's confused, lost, a little psychotic with a dash of vengeance thrown in. She has a score to settle with some vampires back in Forks; who better to go to than the Volturi themselves? I'm sure they'd enjoy a guard dog. OC/AU from New Moon
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I wasn't really sure how I wanted this to play out… I originally wrote three chapters that started at the very beginning, but that started to get boring. So then I decided I'm going to cut those chapters up and reveal little by little how the OC came to be where she is presently. That seems a lot more fun :D**_

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><p><em><em>Guarding Them

Chapter 1: Abnormal

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><p><em>When you can't breathe, everything else just… disappears. The fire in your lungs becomes the only thing your brain can comprehend. What's happening? Why? Why won't it stop? Tears build up in your eyes, and before too long your head starts to pound in its own desperate plea for the breath of life. Everything goes foggy, and finally, it fades to black, pulling you along for the ride into the void.<em>

_At least, that's what happened to me._

_I should have seen it coming. Me, walking out on the beams. In the seaside construction site. After a storm. I was just asking for it. But, I was stubborn, and I'd wanted to prove them wrong. I'm not afraid. Stupid, yeah, that much is obvious. No person of intelligence, or at least one with common sense, would have taken the bait and gone into the closed construction. And for what? To retrieve a rusty nail? What on Earth is that supposed to prove?_

_Apparently, at the time, it meant everything. A way in during my time of isolation. A little 'pledge', or show of my worthiness. They laughed at the new girl, as she climbed over the metal fence marking the private property. The only way it could have been funnier is if she fell from the top, maybe snagging her clothes on a piece of barbed wire. Then again, were there barbed wire she may have had enough sense to call it off right then and there. But no. She got to the other side, and lost her footing five feet from the ground._

_I am that stupid girl._

_It should have been easy enough though, I mean, how hard could it be to go into a construction site and find a nail? I figured I'd find a bunch on the ground, no more than twenty feet in. And yet, half an hour into my search, I gave up for the toolbox I'd seen sitting on the construction beams built over the water. Surely that would have some nails in it? All that separated us was a long, narrow, slick metal beam, still glistening from the prior downpour. Simple enough._

_One foot… right… left… right… Half way there. I could see the contents of the box, and I was reassured that the trip would not be for nothing. Alas, my focus in that moment of relief was fragile. My shoe lost friction with the smooth surface beneath me. I slid, fell backwards. My head came into contact with something hard, as did my spine, and before I could understand what was happening, I was rolling over the side. I was falling._

_Falling. _

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><p>If you'd told me where I'd be today a year ago, I would have called you crazy and ran away. If you had told me that vampires, werewolves, and shape shifters existed, that <em>immortals<em> existed, I'd have been first in line to sign you up for the insane asylum. But alas, here I am, surrounded by them. Well, a part of them. Vampires. Pale skinned, red eyed, rock hard skin, and cold to the touch. The red eyes were new to me, actually. I was used to seeing the gold. I had yet to learn what the difference was; I just needed to get away from where I'd been. As soon as I overheard them discussing a family of vampires who killed those who stepped out of line, I knew I had to go check it out. True, I had little to go on, and Italy was literally on the other side of the world, but I needed to leave that place. I never wanted to go back, and my reasons are my own.

But at that moment, it didn't matter. After weeks of being under the radar, slipping cash from the unsuspecting passersby, I was ready to leave. I'd already gone to the East Coast, to cut the cost of the flight, and then I convinced some random person on the street that I'd pay them if they'd act as my guardian, at the very least until I had to pass through security. It wouldn't do well for the patrols to see an unattended sixteen year old traveling completely by herself. I was just lucky my disappearance hadn't yet reached Virginia, or else my face would have drawn them to me like moths to a flashlight.

So there I was a day later, in Italy. I'd picked a random starting point for my search, as the nomads that had passed through Forks didn't specify a city. And let me tell you, no teenager knows fear until they step out of an airport by their selves, in Rome, with no idea where to go or what to do. I knew what to do, but how to do it? I couldn't very well go around and try to find vampires, and wait around them on the off chance that they'd bring up this so called 'Volturi'. It'd be easy enough, of that I'm sure. Their race stinks enough to pick up a trail for miles, but that's not the point. Unless one 'coven' smells like garbage, and the other overpowering perfume, I was pretty much shit outta luck.

I ran around Italy for the better half of a month, if my inner clock was anything to go by, before I caught a trace of them.

"We need to be careful around these parts. We aren't too far from their territory, wouldn't want to be caught just on the outskirts of their city."

"Yes, yes, I know, I know. We can hold out until we move on, it isn't that much longer until we can return to France, if we hurry. Hopefully whatever we do goes unnoticed, I'd rather this little errand of ours not turn into a bloodbath."

I was outside what I thought was some sort of café when I heard that little dialogue, using the last of my newly acquired money. I would have soon needed to go out on another thieving spree, but it was much more difficult in such crowded areas. My speed was nothing if every point of escape and hiding was blocked.

So it was near. What was near, exactly? France was actually a ways away, so by what definition was near to these red eyed beings? Last map I had looked at, I was somewhere near a place named Florence. Could they possibly be talking of a neighboring area? I hoped so. I was dog tired, and my poor shoes needed to be retired permanently.

My first idea after eavesdropping on that conversation was to check a map, and hopefully there was another city near where I was that was big enough to house vampire royalty. I'd check there next, if there was.

Thing was, like all maps had always been to me, the landscape and layout of the one I'd bought in a tourist center was crowded and indecipherable. I was able to pinpoint Florence with the help of a bilingual woman, who worked there. There were just… so many cities surrounding it, I got a headache trying to decide where to start.

I guess my head got tired of screaming at me 'Volturi, Volturi, where are they!' because a little later a word on the map caught my eye. Volterra. It sounded a little like the word 'Volturi', but was it really logical to go there? I was already headed to another place that sounded like it had the word 'castle' in the name. Luckily, my previous destination was somewhat on the way. I hoped my search was nearing a close, two months of constant travel on your own can really do some damage to one's psyche. I think I'd started talking to myself, whenever I got the chance to cut threw forests and not be heard.

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><p>I saw the city in the distance. It looked taller than I had expected. Obviously not tall like Now York or some of the structures I'd seen on my recent travels, but tall nonetheless, with sandy stone walls that couldn't help but remind me of pyramids, even though they looked nothing alike. It gave off a medieval feel, at least to me, with the castle-like architecture. As soon as I saw it after I climbed over the hill, I knew I'd found them. I couldn't imagine a better place; small enough to remain a secret, yet large enough to be a symbol of power.<p>

Upon entering the city, even slightly before then, the smell hit me like a tidal wave. Oh yes, this was it. There had to be a large number of their kind to make a stench like that. The sickly sweet, over powering incense like smell left no mistake. Somewhere within those walls, I would find what I was looking for.

But how to find them?

I could wait it out. No doubt, they would catch a strange odor on the wind, one that shouldn't be in their city. But that could take days, or longer, and I didn't exactly know what they would do if they found out what I was before I had a chance to explain myself. I wouldn't be able to stalk any vampires this time, not like in Florence. The fact that they didn't notice me there was just luck, but there wouldn't be any stray blood drinkers in Volterra. Not the way those two spoke about it.

For the longest time, I sat on a bench outside some kind of market, just watching the people go about. My shoes were replaced by a pair I'd found on one of the market stalls. Snatching them was a little easier than Florence, all I had to do was pick my angle, dash in, grab them, and run straight through. The merchant didn't know what happened; one second, a nice pair of tennis shoes are sitting on his stand, and the next they're gone. Oh well. They'd be put to good use for about a week, give or take a few days.

There was a large fountain a little ways down the street, and a few kids were splashing each other with its water. Further still, the market stalls thinned out greatly and made way for indoor restaurants and places of the like, and all the way down the line stood one of the largest buildings in the city. It was certainly the tallest. A bell tower, if I saw it right. My view was obstructed by the tops of prior buildings, but I thought I could make out the face of a large clock. The bell sounded every hour or so, and by the fourth time around, I was restless.

The sun was setting and the gradients of color could be seen expanding over the high walls of the city. The market became less and less active, and by the time the first sliver of a silver moon showed itself over a tall building, the streets were all but empty. The clock struck again, and the bell rang a total of eight times. I'd been sitting there for a total of six hours then. I wonder how that looked to the locals; a young teen walks into the city on her own, finds a seat, and doesn't move from the bench for six hours straight. It sounds creepy, when you don't have the proper context. In truth, I was going over plans in my head, weighing consequences. Occasionally, while the sun was still shining, I looked up in search of an inhumanly beautiful, pale face among the crowd, though I never found one.

My travels got the better of me. The mask of the night was already a natural curtain over my weary eyes, and pretty soon I couldn't think straight. My focus would be lost if I stared in the same space for two long; my vision would become blurred and my eyes would unknowingly start to close.

I hadn't a place to stay, and to be truthful, I didn't want one. The stone bench I'd occupied the whole day was actually a ledge that branched off a wall, and a little ways down the wall I saw a man had taken to making himself comfortable for the night. By the fifth time I dozed off sitting up, I figured it was high time I followed his example. I stretched out on the bench with my face hidden where the seat of the bench and the back met, with my arm acting as a pillow for my head. The wind was rather loud in my ears… The last thing I remember thinking was that I was glad I didn't need a blanket.

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><p>"Ugh, it only gets worse! What is that stench?"<p>

"Silence, Felix. It's coming from up ahead."

My eyes snapped open, only to be met with total darkness. Had I heard something? I was pretty sure I had. My exhaustion wouldn't have allowed me to wake up without cause.

A feather light patter could be heard on cobblestone pavement. At first I thought maybe it was a leaf, but no, leaves were too loud for this. This sound was almost silent. The rhythm came to a stop when it was just behind me, and I heard a ruffle a fabric. My mind was still a little disoriented, and I couldn't draw meaning to behind these sounds.

And then I remembered, little by little. I was in Italy. I fell asleep on a bench, outside in a city called Volterra. I was searching for vampires.

With this realization, my senses came flooding back to me. Cold felt like it was sapping the heat right out of me from behind, nowhere else, and the smell was so close it was unbearable. I didn't move. I knew who they were, I could take a guess at why they were there, but they couldn't say the same for me. Let them lead the dance, that would be the only safe path.

"It's coming from a homeless girl? She smells like she's been bathing dogs, without the soap," a deep masculine voice said from behind. The blizzard at my back seemed to increase with his words.

"I don't think she's just any homeless girl, Felix. One of the lackeys said they saw someone sitting here when they went out for an assignment on the outskirts. They said she was sitting in the same exact spot when he got back five hours later, and that the square had filled with the stench by then. And listen," the second voice, more subtle but with the same sense of danger, paused.

"… That's one fast heartbeat. And it feels like she's a living radiator."

"Exactly. I think it's safe to say this isn't a human."

"Then what is it?"

I gulped. Their voices were becoming more and more malicious, whether that was just in my head or if they were truly getting bloodthirsty for violence, I don't know. But as soon as my throat made the scared, weak sound, I sorely wished it hadn't.

"Why don't we ask her?" the softer voice said with that increasingly evil tone.

_No! You will not chicken out now, not after you've come this far. Stand your ground!_

I took his question as their way of telling me they knew I was awake, and slowly, every so cautiously, I turned my head so that it would appear I was looking at them, though I really couldn't.

"Ah, see! It is awake. How convenient."

"Easy Demetri, you are starting to sound like Aro. Speaking of the Masters, should we take her in? I don't think they'd like whatever she is being out in their city."

"Not yet. They also wouldn't like it much if we brought a threat into the castle…" there was a brief pause before he continued as an afterthought, "though I doubt a child would be much of a threat, would you?"

_Am I meant to answer that? Or is he just goading me?_

I went with an in between scenario and settled for just shaking my head no.

"There you have it. Self proclaimed to be harmless. Now, what are you?"

I was torn between staying the way I was, acting like I was looking at them though not being able to see, or actually turning around. But that would mean having to face them head on. I'd never had to do that before.

_You would have had to sooner or later._

Slowly I sat up from the cold stone and turned to face the vampires, my sight casted downwards the whole time. And then, when I could procrastinate myself no more, I brought myself to trail my gaze up at the vampire duo.

They were cloaked in long jacket-like robes that almost seemed black, but you could tell they were grey by the way they reflected the moonlight. The dim light of the night played on their pale faces, casting shadows that made them look more demonic than they did in the daytime, but I knew it not to be true. Those were just my instincts telling me that I shouldn't be there.

The tall one, whose voice I assumed to be the deeper of the two, had his arms crossed, which made him look all the more intimidating. The smirk he wore on his face made it obvious that he enjoyed toying with lesser beings. The other one simply looked at me, expecting an answer to his companion's question. Both of their noses were slightly wrinkled, as if they smelled something revolting (which they probably did, they didn't exactly smell like roses to me). And both of them had red eyes, a deep crimson that if you didn't know any better, you could swear they were looking into your very soul.

"We are waiting, girl," the smaller one spoke.

I swallowed again before looking at one, then the other and back again. Could I tell them? No. No I couldn't. They needed orders from their leaders, it sounded like. I needed an audience with those leaders. I needed to explain to the higher-ups what I came here for. If I told those two underlings, I didn't know what they would make of me. They didn't know what I was. It needed to stay that way, for the time being.

"I… I can't say," I managed to get out to them between my rapid thought processes. The small one, Demetri, narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"And why is that, child?"

_I don't know how this works. Do I just say 'Take me to your leader' or something? No, that's stupid… But I need to speak to the leaders!_

"You are… members of the Volturi, aren't you?"

Both of their eyes widened slightly, revealing more of their blood red irises. They exchanged glances with each other, and the one who seemed to be in charge of the two once again turned to me. He looked angry, and his nostrils had flared slightly.

"Who has told you of us?" he hissed accusingly. I was afraid this would happen. You don't go in their world for more than a few minutes without knowing the priority rule: secrecy. In their minds, that rule was broken. Best not stray from the task at hand…

"I overheard it from a few nomads back in America," their faces remained stone. I suppose they only become surprised when someone is stupid enough to break their rules. "They said something about you being like… the enforcers, or something along those lines."

_That's right, don't let on too much to the underlings. Only say what needs to be said._

"And for whatever reason, after hearing that, you came here, whatever you are. Why?"

I thought for a moment. These people were only concerned with keeping their secret… my problems weren't even visible from their standings. I knew the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.

"I know a coven who has revealed your world to a mortal, and it just so happens that I have a score to settle with one of the members," I said, doing my best to hide a victorious smirk. Just like I had predicted, their eyes once again went wide, seemingly forgetting that I also knew their secret, and that I was an abnormality.

They looked at each other, jaws set, and came to a silent agreement. The tall one flashed over to my side and pulled me up by my arm.

"You come with us. Aro will want to confirm that you are not telling a lie. Be warned, girl, you might as well have sentenced yourself to death upon stepping into this city, if you are made out to be a liar," Demetri snarled. The big one, Felix, dragged me by my arm past the fountain and to the bell tower, while the other one stayed on my other side. It felt so slow, even if I was being dragged, but…

_In time, you will show them. But not yet. Reveal your cause, your proposal. When it is safe, you will show them. But for now, you are fragile. You will break. They must be careful for the information they need._

_Everything is going perfectly._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ignore any descriptions that don't exactly fit the book, I can't find mine.**_

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><p>Guarding Them<p>

Chapter 2: Exposed

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><p><em>My sight was gone. After hitting my head, I could see nothing. And yet, I could feel everything. The seconds before my body hit the water's surface stretched into minutes, and the miniscule moment before I was submerged, hours. The liquid sheet surrounded me, clinging to my body, pulling me under. I kicked, tried to unravel my feet from the death bed that I didn't want to call my own, but I couldn't see which way was up. An invisible assassin saw fit to cover my head with the same material that entangled me, and my efforts turned to fight off my attacker. First, my hands clawed at my face, eager to rip away the murderous hand that dared to try suffocating me. When that seemed to be in vain, I began to clutch at my throat. The burning… air…<em>

_My arms started to go slack. My head felt fuzzy and pressurized all at the same time. I no longer needed to see. I closed my eyes._

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><p>The vampires led me through corridor after corridor, occasionally taking me through a door I wouldn't have even noticed was there. The first hallway was well lit though unoccupied, everything after that would've been pitch black if not for my enhanced senses. The farther along we went, the colder it got, and the less furnishings there were. Needless to say, if I needed a quick escape root, I really was shit outta luck.<p>

The two remained silent, eyes always forward and determined but not a word was spoken. Finally, we came upon an elevator. After stepping inside and pushing the down button, both of the vampires removed the hoods they had previously dawned and they visibly relaxed, though I hadn't realized they'd been tense. The elevator music, cheery and calming, I could only expect to be a drum roll for those that were brought here for executions. To me, it was just an annoyance.

The elevator dinged, the doors slid opened, and I nearly hissed from the bright light that came through. I was dragged into the overly lit room, and when my eyes finally adjusted I noticed it reminded me of one of those nice hotel lobbies. Ironically, it was anything but.

There was a woman behind the desk to the right, and by the smell of her, human. The hell?

She greeted the two vampires warmly, and Felix returned the gesture, but Demetri complete ignored her. So she was either a prisoner who had been locked up there doing her job too long, or a wannabe. Or both.

From then on, the halls were rather brightly lit, though were still maze like. I hadn't a hope of escaping if they decided to deject my offer.

The smell, not to mention, only got stronger the farther down we went.

I started seeing blurs pass by. They were black, and with them brought on a wave of the scent I would need to get used to, one way or another. Seeing them, the vampires who were actually running, made be huff impatiently, kind of like Felix had been doing the whole way.

By the seventh or so blur that rushed by, I was fed up with it.

"Can't we go faster?" I asked, frustrated as another vampire ran passed us in the same direction we were going.

Felix laughed darkly. "We could, but I don't think Demetri feels like carrying you, and I know I don't."

"You don't have to. I may not be as fast as your kind, but I'm definitely faster than this," I said somewhat bitterly. It was starting to feel like every vampire that passed us was taunting me, and making fun of my sluggishness.

"Fine then, run," he replied humorously. I think he thought I was lying.

"I don't know where I'm going."

"We're going straight down this hallway and making a left at the end. There's a door, though I doubt you'll get that far."

Without hesitation, and with eagerness to prove myself early, I started my full sprint. The end of the hallways was probably as far away as two full lengths of the fountain outside, meaning it would have been a little longer than one of the running courses in the Olympics. It was just too easier to reach the end in record timing, and at the left there was another smaller hallway with the door Felix had mentioned. A large, glorified door.

The two vampires joined me a moment later, watching me intently.

"What are you, girl?" Demetri asked me again, his eyes blazing. I looked at him right back, keeping my face free of emotion.

"That's irrelevant to why I'm here, but I'll tell you soon enough."

His gaze became even more suspicious, and he looked torn between interrogating me further or carrying out the task he set out to do what felt like ages ago.

He seemed to decide. The vampire nodded towards the door.

We ran to it, but instead of going straight through, Demetri stood in front of it and turned to me.

"You are not to speak unless spoken to, and you are not to disobey what you are told to do. Go against these rules, and you will be shown no mercy. This is your only warning."

His smoldering eyes turned away and opened the great double doors, and I was pushed forward by Felix.

That is where the smell originated. The scent of vampire broke through the door like a damn broken by a flood of water. It almost made my eyes tear up from the sting it put in my nose, and I resisted the urge to cover my face to get away from the smell. Now was not the time to accidentally insult the most powerful group of vampires in their own territory.

Felix kept me from walking forward any further when we got to the middle of the room, but Demetri kept on until he reach the far end. The room was dome-like, large, and ornate. It reminded me of ballrooms I had seen in movies, and there were three thrones at the far end where Demetri was headed. Pale faces from every edge of the room turned to us as we entered, and their noses started scrunching up in disgust. I dearly hoped that the way I smelled towards them wouldn't affect my chances, because I'd set that obstacle aside on my own. I really hoped that they would do the same, seeing as there were dozens of them, and only one of me.

There were five vampires that were standing and conversing in front of the thrones, excluding Demetri who had only just joined them. Three of them looked quite a bit older than the other two, considering the others looked like they would have been around my age if not younger. Demetri walked up to them, and without saying anything offered his hand to one of the older, black haired vampires. The one being offered turned to look towards the door, and found me standing calmly in the middle of the floor. He took Demetri's hand, and a moment later his eyes snapped back up to me with a look full of wonder. He nodded to the vampire, and started to make his way over to Felix and me.

The disgusted looks I had been getting from the room had some added curiosity as the new vampire, I was assuming their leader, approached me. He glided over, like his graceful race does, and stopped two arm's reaches away. He said nothing as he looked me up and down, apparently studying me, though he himself seemed unaffected by the smell everyone else in the room was repulsed by. When he reached my eyes, I wanted to shrink away. To those who were used to him, I'm sure he looked like he was simply curious all the time, and fascinated by everything. To me, he held so much power in his gaze, even if his crimson irises and pupils were given a slightly milky color I could only guess came with age. Seemingly satisfied by my flinching, a sure sign that I acknowledge where she stood, he spoke.

"You have knowledge of someone who has broken our laws?" he asked his voice cheery despite the topic and his eyes wide as if stuck in a permanently surprised expression. His lips were pulled into a smile, but I couldn't really guess what he was smiling about. At the moment, I thought that maybe he was elated at the fact that he would get to put someone down, but I know better now. He always smiles, even at the strangest of times.

I nodded my head, and managed a two worded reply, "Yes, sir."

"And what is it that they have done?" he continued without missing a beat.

"They've revealed themselves to a mortal." He did not react as the others did, and in that room everyone actually seemed relaxed. There were no clenched jaws, angry eyes, or any outward appearances like Demetri and Felix had displayed outside.

"You mean yourself?" he said suddenly, his smile widening. I was confused; did he think I was a human that just smelt _that _bad?

"No, I mean a human –"

"Are you not?"

_This is turning away from the point, get back to it…_

"A coven of vampires in America has revealed the immortal's existence to a human teenager, and last I heard, they don't plan on turning her."

The vampire looked disappointed that I strayed from the line that he wanted me to walk, but he brought back his positive façade easily enough, and now he looked a little more serious and ready to talk business.

"And what coven do you speak of?"

I thought that a rather odd question to ask. Did he think he knew every coven there was? He might, he's most likely been around for ages. I remembered what Demetri told me though, and thought it best to not keep him waiting.

"The Cullens, in Forks, Washington."

The vampire stood back and once again took on a disappointed expression, though this time I didn't know why. He looked back at the group that he had walked away from, and then back to me.

"I'm afraid we don't believe you. The leader of the Cullen clan is a dear friend of mine, and I know him well. He would never break the law that he works hard to follow. Perhaps you speak of his profession? I hear he is a doctor, and reveals himself to mortals regularly."

His last sentence I found to sound teasing, and possible poking fun at my intelligence.

"I went to school with the 'children'. One of them is in a relationship with a human girl, and I have… overheard that they will not turn her, though she wants them to."

The leader cocked his head to the side and held his hands together in front of him, making him look like he was in some twisted sort of prayer. His forefingers came to rest at his lips, which were no longer smiling, as if he were shushing someone, and he once again turned back to the small group in the back.

"Where is your proof? Or did you expect us to charge in on your word?" one of the people in the group said icily. He was one of the older ones, the only one of the three to have blond hair.

Proof? Proof. They wanted proof. The only proof I had were the memories I kept safeguarded in my head. He stopped a car from making a pancake out of her; that was only a memory. That's all of him that I'd witnessed, but I'd overheard conversations that were even more revealing. How could I provide proof?

"What kind of proof is it that you need?" I asked the blond vampire, whose eyes, unlike the one who stood before me, could only be described at maleficent.

The smile returned to the vampire in front of me, and he let his arms drop, but his hands remained clasped in front.

"How much do you know of our kind, young one? It is obvious you are not a vampire, but you are not human either. So what do you know of vampires?"

_Not nearly as much as I should have before coming here…_

"Only a few things. Blood is your sustenance, your senses and physical abilities are enhanced, and your major law." I was starting to get a little anxious. Where was this going?

"Yes, true, very true. But do you know of our _other _abilities?"

My silence gave him his answer.

"Many of us," he started, gesturing to the occupants of the room, "have other abilities. Dear Demetri, for example, has the ability to track anyone, even if they are on the other side of the world," he finished, his voice coated with pride.

_Definitely no escape._

"I, on the other hand, can read minds. With a single touch, I can read every thought that person's ever had. You have your proof with you. Do you offer it?" His smile widened again as he held out his hand. The little exchange between himself and Demetri now made sense.

I was relieved to be able to provide the proof they apparently needed, and I started to offer my hand. But with a realization, I withdrew and looked up into his curious eyes.

This wasn't just about the Cullens anymore. He'd seen Demetri's memories. He'd seen me run down the hallway, far faster than any mortal could. And I stood before him then, with a heartbeat, a fast one. He didn't see a mortal before him, but he didn't see a vampire either. He wasn't as curious for my 'proof' as he was for something else.

I swallowed loudly. This wasn't how I'd planned it. I was going to make my offer to them, and explain out loud. He was going to see everything in my head. If he decided to reject it, that would be it. I wouldn't be able to make my case, and I wasn't going to be able to escape. Things were starting to look very bad for me.

"Come now, you want me to believe you, don't you?" he said, his eyes searching mine, as if they were already sifting through my thoughts. I couldn't deny him though. To say no then would be the death of me. So begrudgingly, I slowly edged my hand forward, and the distance we had between us closed instantaneously; he snatched it up lest I take it away again.

I watched him fearfully as his unblinking eyes stared at our hands, and he hovered over them, breathing deeply. I don't know how long we stood there; it could have been a few minutes, but for me it felt much, _much _longer. Rampant thoughts ran through my head out of fear that he would give the order to kill, and then even more thoughts came along with the realization that he would see that fearful thought, and the process continued, seemingly endless. At last, the slow motion everything had been in sped up when his head snapped up and his eyes bore into mine, only inches away.

"How interesting…" he said as he released my hand. I watched him cautiously as he stood to his full height and turned thoughtful. "Very interesting, indeed."

"Was she lying, brother?" the blond vampire, whom I had all but forgotten about, asked. He was smirking, as if hopeful that I was. The leader did not take his eyes off of me as he answered.

"No, all that she has said is quite true. It appears our dear friend Carlisle, and his family, has broken the law. We will need to send someone out to tell them their options; there is no need to be hasty. Demetri, go fetch one of the new members, I'm sure they are more than ready for a first assignment," he said, still watching me. Demetri nodded and made his way to who knows where, and the room became silent.

"There is no need to be afraid, young one. That was… quite the offer you had planned."

His sudden sentence brought the curiosity out of many of the people in the room, and those who had previously stopped paying attention turned back to see what was going on.

"I am… curious. You can control yourself in such a state?"

It was clear to me what he was referring to, but everyone else looked confused if not indifferent.

_This is your chance, take it._

"I can, pretty well."

"And you can assume either form at will?" he no longer appeared curious, but he looked to have another air about him. At any other time, I would have been scared of that emotion, but right then it was just what I needed. A hunger for power, and an un quenchable greed.

"Yes."

His smile widened with eagerness.

"Show me," he said excitedly. Even though it was what I'd originally planned to do, I felt nervous. I looked at all the vampires in the room, and I knew I was completely vulnerable. How would they react?

"No need to worry about them, they will not attack," he told me. He said it a little louder than how he'd been talking, and I knew that it was a subtle order.

I nodded my understanding, and took a deep breath. The leader took a few steps back, as he was still rather close.

"Come away Felix, we'll want to give young Danielle some space," he said to the vampire behind me, though he never looked away. The coldness at my back hesitated before walking around me to join the other vampire.

Show him, show him. Show him your power, show him what he wants. Show him something unique, give him something no vampire will ever again possess.

I thought of my sorrows of losing so much in such a short amount of time, my anger that I had against everything around me. My frustrations, the pain of turning the first time. How almost everyone I knew and trusted was now against me. I thought how there was no going back.

My fists trembled first, and the tremors spread to my arms, down my spine and to my legs. My eyes were shut tight, concentrating on everything that had went wrong, everything that made me angry. Mom, the incident, the Cullens.

_The Cullens._

My eyes snapped open, unseeing to the reality. It only saw the coven of vampires that I hated with my very being, the ones I held responsible for everything. The lies that they told, two of them in particular, that drove me to insanity. The lies that made me lose _everything_, and made me the monster that I could be.

_The Cullens must pay! _

The anger caused an explosion within my body, and it sent shockwaves across my skin like an earthquake.

Clothing ripped. Skin sprouted light grey, almost white, fur all over my body, and my bones shifted, grew, morphed. My face stretched and sharp teeth grew to great lengths from my gums, and claws sprouted where fingernails once were. A tail extended from my spine, and my back arched until I was forced to stand on all fours.

The tingling stopped. I settled there, in the middle of the room of vampires, an abomination to their eyes. My gaze held the leader's, and in the reflection of his milky depths I saw a monster glare back with one blue eye, and one iced over from disuse. Every vampire in the room, save for the one that asked the beast to come forward, crouched into a fighting stance awaiting the order to attack.

"At peace, dear ones," he said quietly, as if in awe. His words did little to calm the crowd, and he only excited them further when he strode forward to me.

I looked down at him, as I was much taller than he was when at my full height, and I lowered my head so that he was higher than I was when he came closer. I did not flinch back when he reached his hand out toward my muzzle, though several vampires showed their objections and a rain of hisses echoed through my ears.

"Peace," he repeated, and placed his hand on my lowered head. His eyes glazed over as he entered my mind for the second time that day, and as he withdrew he could only say one word.

"Magnificent."


End file.
